Can opener



May 13 1924.

- 1,493,700 M. D. PRICE CAN OPENER Filed June 2, 1921 Jam/1.2. fflm aMoMwqS Patented May 13, 1924.

1 barren STATES PATENT. orricn.

MITCHELL n. PRICE, or MIAMI, FIiORIDA.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed June 2, 1921. Serial No. 474,437;

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MITCHELL D. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Miami, in the county of Dadeand State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention. relates to can openers and more particularly to those which are adjustable so that they may be used efiiciently -for opening cans of various sizes.

The construction of my improved device is'such that it may also be employed for removing the tops oi square or oblong cans with equal case. I

In carrying out my invention I provide a grip or handle portion with two arms rigidly united therewith and depending there-from in a! spaced parallel relation. Adjacent the free ends of these arms and extending therebetwecn I provide a guide bar and a screw-threaded adjusting rod. The guide bar slidably supports a knife which is also engaged by the screw-threaded adjusting rod. One of the arms has formed thereon a. point which acts as a center during the cutting operation, the dis tance between the point and knife being adjusted by proper rotation of the operating adjusting rod.

The various features which constitute the outstanding points of advantage of this improved construction will be made more ap- -parent in the accompanying specification and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view it appears in use.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the in section. i

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form oi the device showing an other manner of using the same, and

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the moditied form of cutting knife.

In the drawings the numeral 10 indicates the handle or gri n to which is integrally attached a pair of spaced parallel rigid arms 11. Disposed between said arms and adjacent their free ends there is provided a guide bar 12. Spaced from'the guidebar 12 and parallel therewith is a screw-threaded operating rod 13. The operating rod has at one. end a winged portion 1.4 so that the rod may be rotated while its other end is provided with a nut or cap 15, thereby securing this rod against longitudinal disoi' the device device partly placement. The screw-threads stop short of each end of the rod 13 to provide plain surfaces 16 which form the bearing for the rod 13 in the arms 11 of the device.

A carrier 17 is slotted at its lower end to receive a cutting blade 18 held in place by a. bolt nut 19. The carrier 17 is formed with a pair of spaced apertures 20 and 21 to permit the operating rod 13 and the guide bar 12 to pass therethrough. The aperture 20 is screw-threaded so as to cooperate with the operating rod 13. One of the arms 11 is pointed as at 22 so as to provide a center for the cutter during the cutting operation. A circumferential shoulder 9.3 limits the distance the point 22 may project through the top of the can.

Secured in longitudinal alignment with the grip or handle 10 in any suitable manher is a blade 24;. In the drawings themanner of attachment shown is that of a slot formed in the handle 10 ot'the device into which the blade 24 projects, it being rigidly held in place by a bolt 25. An abutment or shoulder 26 projects from the grip 10 for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described.

In Fig. e the carrier 17 is shown as having the blade portion 27 integral therewith, this construction being preferable in some instances.

In Fig. 3 the relative position of the guide bar 12 and the operating rod 13 has been reversed, this change sometimes proving to be of better advantage.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated the device as it appears when removingthe top of a round can C. The distance between the blade 18 and the point 22 is first properly adjusted, according to the size of the can to be opened, by rotating the operating rod 13 through the medium of the winged thumb portion 1 1. As hereinbefore stated, the carrier 17 of the blade is screw-threadedly engaged by the rod 13 and hence the distance between blade 18 and point 22 may be regulated. The blade and point are then forced into the top of the can, the point 22 piercing the top of the can approximately at the center. By holding firmly to the grip or handle 10 and rotating the device with the point 22 acting as a center, the blade 18 will be caused to sever the top from the can in a circumferential path as will be clear without further explanation.

In Fig. 3, I have shown the device as it is used in removing the tops of square or oblong cans D; In this instance, the blade 24 is pushed through the top of the can until the abutment or shoulder 26 on the one hand and the arm 11 on" the other, contact with the top of the can. The device is then pushed downwardly. the abutment QG'and arm 11 acting as a fulcrum, this action causing the blade 24: to move upwardly through the top ofthe can. Whenthe bladehas cut through, it is moved forward and the operation repeated until the top is severed from the can.

The arm 11 which acts as one of the bearin'g points during the cutting operation in which the bladeQat is used is of sufiicient length to engage the side of the can, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Inasmuch as the abutment 26 also engages the side of the can, a firm support and fulcrum for the blade 2% isp'rovided even when'the top has beenpartially severed from the can.-

Various modifications in the structure illustrated may be made such for instance, as threading the blade intothe blade carrier. It is likewise obvious that various means may be employed for securing the blade 24 in position.

I consequently reserve the right to make these and any other modifications as come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

7 Having thus described my invention, what I" claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a handle, a pair of rigid arms depending therefronr'at right angles thereto, a guide bar connecting the free ends of said arms, a blade carrier and blade supported by said. guide bar, apoint carried by one of said arms and means disposed between said arms and engaging said-blade carrier for adjusting its position with respect to said arms.

2. A device of the class described comprising a handle, a pair of spaced rigid arms projecting therefrom at right angles, a guide bar mounted in the free ends of said arms, a blade carrier slidably supported on said guide bar, a blade secured to said blade carrier, a point formed on one of said arms and means supported by said arms and engaging said blade carrier for varying the distance between said blade and said point.

3. A device of the class described com prising a handle, a pair of spaced rigid arms projecting therefrom at right angles, aguide b'ar supported-by the free ends of said arms, a blade carrier slidably supported on said guide bar, a'blade carried by said blade carrier,-an operating rod supported by said arms adjacent said guide bar, said operating rod engagingsaid-blade carrier and a point formed 011 one of said arms.

MITCHELL D. PRICE. 

